Former PM Nepal blames Maoists for delay in peace process

Kathmandu: Former Prime Minister Madhav
Kumar Nepal on Friday blamed the Maoists for the delay in
concluding the country`s peace process and drafting of the
constitution, saying the former rebels must show sincerity and
agree to rehabilitate their former guerrillas.

"The constitution drafting has have been delayed and
the peace process stalled mainly due to the Maoists`
hesitation to lay down arms and manage their combatants,"
said Nepal, a senior leader of ruling CPN-UML party who quit
the post of the prime minister under intense Maoists pressure
last year.

He said a draft constitution can be prepared within
the May 28 deadline only if the Maoists show sincerity towards
the peace process and agree to manage their combatants at the
earliest.

He warned that if the constitution was not promulgated
within the stipulated time frame, the country might plunge
into serious crisis.

There is growing concern in the country over the
uncertainty in Nepal`s peace process and failure of the
political parties to agree on a consensus to promulgate a new
constitution.

Parties are deadlocked over some of the key issues of
the 2006 peace process and are yet to reach a consensus on the
drafting of a new constitution.

Nepal demanded the formation of a government based on
national consensus to save the country from a political
crisis.

"There is a need to move ahead on the basis of
consensus and collaboration among major political forces and
only a national consensus government can accomplish the task
of concluding the peace process and drafting a constitution,"
Nepal told reporters in the capital.

He strongly opposed the decision of Prime Minister
Jhala Nath Khanal to give the key Home Ministry portfolio to
the Maoists, who are yet to give up arms and rehabilitate
their former guerrillas housed in different camps.

Khanal`s decision to give the Home Ministry portfolio
to the Maoists was against the decision of the CPN-UML, Nepal
said, adding the party will take up the issue in its central
committee meeting.

He underlined that those who talk of waging `peoples`
revolt` should not be given security-related portfolio as they
might infiltrate their cadres into the organisation.

He said the Maoists may misusing power, including
covering up past human rights violations by its cadres.

The CPN-UML leader asked the Maoists to return the
seized property, agree on modality for the integration of its
former guerrillas into the security forces and dissolve its
paramilitary organisation Young Communist League.